The historic 1890 train station in Port Chester has been renovated and has reopened to the public as the Port Chester Hall & Beer Garden in the heart of downtown. The new eatery also provides weekday coffee service in the morning for locals and Metro-North commuters alike.

Metro-North Railroad leased the 5,630-square-foot building a successful restaurateur who made substantial investments in the station including a new roof, new canopies over the entrances and a spacious landscaped garden.

The dining room in the former waiting room makes use of the existing oak benches, which have been refurbished, and preserves the mosaic and stone floor. Historic characteristics of the building were preserved in consultation with the New York State Office of Historic Preservation. Several new features also were added, including an indoor private dining room, an outdoor covered, custom-built pavilion with a steel design reminiscent of train tracks, and beer garden with table seating and two outdoor fireplaces. One indoor fireplace also was added.

Port Chester Hall is open seven days a week and is the latest addition to the city’s vibrant nightlife scene, which is anchored by The Capitol Theater directly across the parking lot.

While the ticket office remains open from 6:10AM – 1:40PM Monday-Friday, the lease transfers maintenance responsibility from the railroad to the tenant while still providing shelter, restrooms and coffee service to Metro-North customers.

Port Chester Hall restaurateur and developer Jon Bloostein also is the founder and CEO of Heartland Brewery, a group of successful brew pubs as well as Houston Hall and Flatiron Hall. The Hall has a diverse menu and a full bar featuring award-winning craft beer brewed at Greenpoint Beer Works in Brooklyn, New York.

Heartland invested $5 million in long-term infrastructure improvements to the19th century brick building including, rehabilitation of the chimneys and repointing of the exterior brick walls as well as a new natural gas service for the kitchen, commercial-grade air conditioning, upgraded plumbing, electric, and mechanical systems and new lighting consistent with the design of the station.

Metro-North completed improvement to the station platforms, shelters, ramps and staircases. All 38 windows in the station building were repaired and repainted and all 17 wooden doors were replaced in kind.

The food and beer hall, which accommodates about 300 people, is open for dinner at 4 p.m. on weekdays. On weekends and holidays, it opens at noon. It also operates a coffee concession from 6 a.m. to 11a.m. weekdays serving hot and iced coffee & tea and an assortment of juices, pastries and muffins.